Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "We're bargaining right now for approximately 8,000 employees that work for Kaleida Health," said Debora Hayes, CWA District 1 Area Director. "They represent the full scope of health care job titles."
Negotiations started last week between CWA Local 1168 and 1199 SEIU and Kaleida Health.
Staffing is the number one issue in the contract talks.
"Our members, regardless of the job title that they are in, just want to be sure that there's enough people there to provide the care or do the work that needs to be done," said Hayes. "We survey all of our members to make sure we understand what their priorities are. And, again, safe staffing is at the top."
Speaking of staffing, recent research by the Fiscal Policy Institute determined that 5,000 registered nurses will be needed in upstate New York in order to solve staffing shortages.
"We believe that those nurses are out there," said Hayes. "But they're not willing to work in conditions at acute care hospitals right now. It's kind of a viscous cycle. "If we got people in the door, staffing would be better. But people don't want to come in the door, unless they know staffing is better."
There is a significant amount of competition between all of the various health systems and hospitals in Buffalo and the volume of nurses coming out of school has diminished. For that reason, unions are working on partnerships with universities and colleges to help get people from the classroom and help transition them smoothly into the workplace.
The unions' contract with Kaleida expires May 31.
"We're focused on getting this done by that deadline, with some intense negotiations," Hayes told us.
The contract covers healthcare workers at Buffalo General, Oishei Children's Hospital. Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, DeGraff Medical Park, HighPointe on Michigan and various other clinics across Erie and Niagara counties.